murray



(N Mode1.)/ Y y 9 G. W. COFRAN su W. J. MURRAY.

FIRE EXTINGUISHBR.

No. 556,305, Patented Mar. l0, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGEV. OOFRAN `AND WILLIAM J MURRAY, OF BALTIMORE, MARY- LAND; SAID OOFRAN ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO JOHN A. ADDISON,

OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,305, dated March 10, 1896. Application nea May 9,1895, serrano. 548,717. montati.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. CorRAN and WILLIAM J. MURRAY, of Baltimore city in the State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in automatic fire-extinguishers, and especially in that class of such devices in which a fusible closure is provided upon the nozzles or outlets, and the present invention has for an object to provide simple means by which a reduction of air-pressure in the pipe system will effect a flow through such pipe system of the gas, water or other medium by which to eX- tinguish the fire.

The invention has for further objects other improvements; and it consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of a part of a house provided with our improvement. Fig 2 is a perspective" view of the tank and parts immediately connected therewith. Figs. 3, 3b, and 3C are detail views of the nozzle. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal seetion of one of the pipes. Fig. 5 shows the construction for connection with the watermain, and Fig. 6 shows a somewhat different construction of nozzle. Y

The pipes A of the system may be disposed in any suitable or desired arrangement in the building or structure and is provided at intervals with the nozzles B of a special construction, more fully described hereinafter.

This system also has one or more hand-hose O connected by a coupling O having a threeway valve and hand-cords C2 for manipulating the same, so that communication may be established between the pipe A and the handhose to release the pressure in the pipe A by the watchman or other person whenever it is desired to use the extinguishing devices before the fusible nozzles are released. The pipes A connectwith the supply of extinguishing material, it may be a water-main D, as shown in Fig. 5, or, as is preferred, a gas-tank E, as shown in Fig. l.

The tank E contains elements of the gas,

vrelease the extinguishing agent.

describe.

such as bicarbonate of soda and water, and sulphuric acid is supplied to such elements by breaking a bottle F containing such acid within the tank. To this end we provide in the tank a seat G for the bottle F and a clasp g to secure the bottle in such seat. It is preferred to provide two of such bottle-holders, one above the other, sothe sulphuric acid may be more evenly distributed within the tank to secure a better generation of gas. These bottle-holders also have guides G for the bottle-breaking rod of the plunger H. This plunger H constitutes the device for releasing the fire-extinguishing medium and is preferably arranged to break the bottle or bottles of sulphuric acid, but may within the broad principles of our invention be arranged to open a valve t' in a water-main I suitably connected with the circulating-pipe A, as shown in Fig. 5, so water may be used instead of the gas to extinguish the flames, but we prefer the construction by which gas is generated, as shown in Fig. l.

The plunger I-I is weighted at H2 so it will drop quickly and forcibly, and is secured by a latch including a pivoted strut-bar l movable at its swinging end into and'out of position to support the plunger H and connected by lever 2 with 'the weighted rod 3 in such manner that when the rod 3 falls the latch will be moved to release the plunger so the latter may fall, strike the breaking-rod, and This latch is supported by a diaphragm J bearing beneath the rod 3, and such diaphra'gm is operated by pressure from the circulating-pipe, such pressure being preferably air-pressure, and secured in the manner which we will now A pipe K from a suitable air pump or compressor L (the construction of which it is not necessary to describe) connects at Zwith the chamber J below the diaphragm, and also connects at l with the circulating-pipe A. This pipe K is provided between the pipe A and the diaphragm and between such diaphragm and the pump with check-valves M, both opening in the same direction, as shown.

Now, in operation, if pressure be supplied to the pipe A the diaphragm J will be distended and the latch be supported in position IOO to secure the releasingrod elevated, but if such pressure be released the diaphragm will fall and the latch will free the plunger and the extinguishing iiuid will be released and circulate up through the pipe A and be discharged. The check-valve between the diaphragm .l and the pipe A avoids the passage of any of the extinguishing medium to the diaphragm, as will be readily seen. The plunger II is connected by a wire N with a bolt N sliding in a keeper N2 and receiving a loop or eye O on a connection O' with a ciranda plunger portion the diaphragm supporting such plunger portion,the circulating-pipe, an air-pump a pipe extending from such airpump to the circulating-pipe and communieating with the diaphragmand: check-valves between the diaphragm and the pump and between the diaphragm and the circulatingpipe substantially as and for the purposes set forth. f

2. The combination with the plunger by which to release the extinguishing medium of the bell and its circuit-closer, a bolt by which cuit-closer O2, so arranged that when theto hold such closer retracted and a connecplunger H drops the bolt will be withdrawn from the connection O to permit the circuitcloser to fall and complete the circuit of an electric bell L, so the latter will be sounded in case the pressure in pipe A is released. Pressure in the pipe A may be released by opening the valve leading to the hand-hose, as before described, but the nozzles B are constructed to automatically open in case of a rise of temperature to a certain point by the fusing of afusible closure in said nozzles, and a special feature of such nozzle is its construction so a small portion of fusible material will eiiiciently close it. To this end we forni thc outlet of such nozzle as an undercut channel B to receive the fusible material B2, such channel serving to readily receive and retain the material B2, and yet permit its easy discharge when it softens by the rise of temperature, so that pressure may be released in the pipe A. This nozzle is formed with an outer casin g, a shell B3, and an inner shell B4, separated at the discharge end of the nozzle and having one wall of the undercut channel B formed in each of such shells, the inner shell B1l communicating with the pipe A, and an opening or openin gs B5 being formed through such inner shell into the space B(i between the shells.

rlhe shells B3 B4 are provided at their discharge ends with alternating lips or projections D311", the lips b3 curving slightly upward and the lips b4 slightly downward and serving to thoroughly diifuse and distribute the escaping iiuid, as will be understood from the drawings.

In the nozzle shown in Fig. 6 the outletopening is continuous and annular, and we also provide within it a central outlet, which, like the annular outlet, is controlled by anl undercut outlet in which the fusible material may be inserted, the circular outlets on the inner portion of the distributer communieating with the said central outlet, as shown.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the plunger of the latch having a portion engaging such plunger tion between the plunger and bolt by which to positively withdraw such bolt when the plunger falls substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus substantially as described a nozzle having at its outlet inner and outer shells provided with alternating projections whereby to secure a diffusion of "the fluid discharged substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus substantially as described a nozzle having inner and outer shells and provided at its outlet with an undercut channel one wall of which is formed in onc shell and the other wall in the other shell such shells being formed with alternately-arranged lips or projections substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus substantially as dcscribed the nozzle having an annular outletchannel the walls of which taper or converge toward the discharge an d provided within said channel with a downwardly-facing abutment for the plug and the annular fusible plug substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination of the gas-tank, the circulating-pipe, the latch-supporting diaphragm and its case, the air-pump, a pipe eX- tending from such pump past the diaphragmcase connected therewith and with the circulatin g-pipe, and check-valves arranged in said connecting-pipe between the diaphragm and pump and between the diaphragm and circulating-pipe such valves both opening in the same direction substantially as set forth.

7. The combination in an apparatus substantially as described of the breaking-plunger, a strut-bar pivoted at one end and movable at its other end into and out of engagement with the breaking-plunger, the latchplunger arranged alongside the breakingplunger, means controlling the said latchplunger and a lever connected at one end with the latch-plunger and at its other end with the strut-bar all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE XV. COFRAN. XVILLIAM J. MURRAY. Witnesses:

JOHN A. ADDISON, ALBERT A. MURRAY.

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